EDITORIAL: Investigating abuse a funding priority

An Indiana legislative study committee appears on the right track as it wraps up its examination of the state's handling of child abuse cases. At its final meeting, the committee recommended unanimously to decentralize some responsibilities of its centralized call center.

The call center was created to speed up the response time of authorities to reports of child abuse. However, as it turned out, hotline workers were not familiar with areas of the state where calls were originating, causing delays by local authorities in locating children.

Consequently, the legislative committee is recommending the call center continue to operate around the clock, but personnel there would forward complaints they receive to local authorities familiar with their areas.

A news report by Courier & Press staff writer Eric Bradner quoted Department of Child Services head John Ryan as saying this plan would require hiring 130 new case managers and 26 new supervisors at $9 million a year. Bradner points out that the decision whether to actually adopt the plan and the spending would be up to the full Indiana Legislature when it goes into session.

Evansville Democratic Rep. Gail Riecken, who has pushed for changes in child services, said these recommendations would make a tremendous difference.

Indeed, it would be difficult for the legislature to turn down this vital assistance to vulnerable children, given that for them, the alternative can be brutal abuse or even death.